Chapter 11 Congress Review
The differences between the House and Senate are…
Size and representation to begin with, in the House you get one hour to debate, the Senate gets unlimited debate (filibuster) which can only be stopped by a cloture vote (60 votes), spending bills must originate in the House.
The differences between the House and Senate were more prior to 1913 because…
Before the Seventeenth Amendment, Senators were selected by state legislatures, not the general public
Is there a difference between a cloture vote and discharge petition?
Cloture vote stops a filibuster in the SENATE, and a discharge petition gets a stalled bill out of committee and onto the floor for a vote
What is the Committee of the Whole?
Those members of the House of Representatives who happen to be on the floor when they discuss a bill (not the entire house has to be present to have a vote or a discussion on a bill)
Amendments, things added to bills, there are rules in both houses.
Amendments in the House must be Germaine (relevant) Senators can attach riders to other pieces of legislation to avoid the committee hearing process Senate amendment do not have to be germaine
What’s pork?
Spending bills that allocate federal money to a specific congressman’s district – helps get them reelected. The amount of pork barrel spending has dramatically increased over the past twenty years.
What is a conference committee?
When a bill comes out of both houses, and there are differences, a conference committee is formed to work out the differences between the bills, and each house votes on it again.
What’s double stacking?
When there is a filibuster going on in the Senate, it allows business and debate to go on – makes the Senate more productive.
Why is power so widely dispersed in Congress?
There is tension as a result of the need for strong leadership at the top, but individual members need to act according to what the people back home want done.
What’s a pocket veto?
Only relevant when Congress is not in session – a bill is passed, but Congress is out of session – the president doesn’t sign it within 10 days, it is automatically vetoed.
When does partisanship affect issues in Congress?
Um, all the time, bills going through Congress, economic & environmental issues, when the president pushes through a policy goal.
Why does Congress, for the most part, exempt itself from the laws it passes?
Who enforces the laws? The President. It is therefore an separation of powers, that the President does not enforce those laws on Congress. Make sense? Some don’t think so.
That’s it. But if you have any hopes of doing well on this test, read your notes, read your textbook, and use your review book, and you can do VERY well on this test.